Chapter 8

Chapter 8 Performance night arrived. Miss Luisa was wandering around backstage, checking costumes and props, while the students slipped on their ballet shoes and talked through their routines. The noise in the theater hall was building as families and friends filled the rows and rows of seats. Millie smoothed down the petals of her tutu and patted her hair, which Mom had pulled up into a neat bun high on her head. Mom had even added some sparkles to Millie's cheeks before wishing her luck and heading into the hall to find a frontrow seat.

第八章 演出之夜到来了。 路易莎小姐在后台来回走动，检查服装和道具，学生们则穿上芭蕾舞鞋，互相核对各自的舞蹈动作。 家人和朋友们坐满了一排排的座位，剧院大厅里的喧闹声越来越大。 米莉抚平自己芭蕾舞裙上的花瓣装饰，又拍了拍头发，妈妈已经帮她把头发在头顶梳成了一个整齐的圆发髻。 妈妈还在米莉的脸颊上贴了些亮片，祝她好运之后，就走进大厅找前排的座位去了。

"Please leave your props at the side of the stage," Miss Luisa called out. "And good luck, everyone," she said, giving them all a huge thumbs-up. Millie squinted to look inside her watering can. Dolly was strapped in tight to a padded seat that Pod had made from some old programs and a ticket book. "Are you okay in there?" Millie asked. "Yes." Dolly looked up with a big grin. "Are you okay out there?"

“请把你们的道具放在舞台侧边。”路易莎小姐高声喊道。 “大家都好运哦。”她说着，给所有人比了个大大的大拇指。 米莉眯起眼睛，往自己的浇水壶里瞧了瞧。 多莉被牢牢绑在一个软垫座位上，这个座位是波德用旧节目单和一本票册做的。 “你在里面还好吗？” 米莉问道。 “挺好的。” 多莉抬起头，笑得露出了牙齿。 “你在外面还好吗？”

Millie tried to nod, but her tummy felt like it had a swarm of butterflies inside it, trying hard to escape. "Let's all try Trixie's calming breaths," Dolly said. They breathed in and out and in and out. With every breath, Millie felt the churning feeling in her tummy lessen, as though she were blowing out the butterflies with each lungful. Millie gave Dolly a tiny kiss on the head before placing the watering can down with the

米莉试着点头，可她的肚子里就像装了一群蝴蝶，正拼命想要飞出来。 “我们都来试试特里克茜的呼吸镇静法吧。”多莉说。 他们吸气，呼气，再吸气，再呼气。 每呼吸一次，米莉就觉得肚子里翻搅的感觉轻了一点，好像她每呼出一口气，就把那些蝴蝶吹走了几只。 米莉轻轻亲了亲多莉的小脑袋，然后把浇水壶放在了

other props. She took her place next to Samira. Then the curtains came apart. The performance was about to begin.

其他道具旁边。 她走到萨米拉身边站好位置。 紧接着，幕布拉开了。 演出马上就要开始了。